There are natural alternatives to over-the-counter pain medications, especially if you just have a mild to moderate headaches.
For me, essential oils seem to work just as well, if not better, than pharmaceuticals. These aromatic compounds have been used for thousands of years. They relieve pain safely, effectively, and quickly.
Aromatherapy Oil for Headaches
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Although I’m not a doctor, and I can’t give medical advice, or make any claims a particular product will work for you, I can share my story of how I use a specific essential oil blend for headaches.
When I have a headache, I don’t even have to wait 30 to 45 minutes for ibuprofen or acetaminophen to start working. Rubbing diluted essential oil on my forehead brings instant relief.
People who’ve never used essential oils before may have a difficult time believing that a plant-based extract could work such wonders. But aromatic oils contain potent medicinal compounds and natural analgesics. They also appear have a much better safety record that OTC pain formulas.
Using Natural Headache Remedies
I will never forget what happened to one acquaintance. She was the mother of a boy that played on my son’s Little League team. I noticed she always sat on the sidelines, in the shade. Her skin was also unusually white and had a noticeable uneven tone.
Several years earlier, she had developed a rare but devastating condition called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. This is an uncommon side effect of ibuprofen. It can destroy your skin, and potentially your internal organs as well. Many people don’t survive. She was one of the lucky ones.
After meeting her, I swore off OTC pain relievers for good, and instead rely upon an essential oil formula designed for pain.
Essential Oil to Stop Headaches
Needless to say, we don’t own ibuprofen anymore. We also threw away our acetaminophen. If you happen to overdose on this drug, and it doesn’t take much, you can damage your liver.
Nowadays, when I get a headache. I apply a certain essential oil blend to the area that’s hurting. That’s all I have to do. The headache is gone instantly. Although I don’t know if this would work for a killer migraine, it works well for my tension headaches.
Essential Oils That are Good for Headaches
If you already own essential oils, it’s really easy to make your own headache recipe, by mixing oils together. Blending two or more oils together creates a positive synergy. This is why aromatherapists often recommend blends. Here’s how to make your own tension headache relief blend.
1-2 drops of peppermint essential oil (available here)
1 drop of eucalyptus oil (available here)
Mix this with 1 teaspoon of fractionated coconut oil or another carrier oil and rub into your forehead. Store in a glass jar, away from heat and light, to be used again for headaches or joint/muscle pain. The standard 2 percent dilution in aromatherapy is 3 drops of essential oil to one teaspoon of carrier oil.
Never apply an aromatic oil directly to your skin. I’d suggest starting with the recipe option that calls for a smaller amount of peppermint essential oil, and increasing only if necessary. If this is the first time you’ve used essential oils, do a test patch on the inside of your wrist.
Essential Oil Blend for Headaches
If you don’t already own essential oils, here are two good aromatic formulas, made by one of the my favorite companies. Plant Therapy is a family run business based in Twin Falls, Idaho. Each batch of its oils is independently tested for purity and potency. This is one of the best alternatives I’ve found to the multi-level marketing brands.
Plant Therapy Pain Relief Blends
Plant Therapy Tension Relief is from its line of Synergy blends. This blend is designed for headaches and contains peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, basil, spearmint, lemongrass, lavender, ginger, cinnamon, ravensara, helichrysum and chamomile essential oils. It can also be used on other parts of the body for aches and pains as well.
Rapid Relief, on the right, is the blend that I own. It’s a general pain blend that used to be known as “Pain Aid.” It works very well for my occasional headaches, as well as my muscle spasms. (I have chronic nerve inflammation.) This blend contains nine oils, including peppermint, clove and ginger, noted for their natural analgesic properties.
Plant Therapy Tension Relief
Plant Therapy Rapid Relief
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Essential Oils for Pain Control
Many essential oils are used for pain control, as well as natural inflammation relief. Certain oils, such as eucalyptus essential oil, fir, pine, clove and those from the mint family can also quickly numb discomfort.
Recently, I developed a sore left knee. This was the spot of an old injury. Because I suffer from excess inflammation, which attacks my nerves, joints and other spots, my knee became stiff.
When my body is rundown, or I stray from my strict diet, I see a return of my symptoms. This happened shortly after going out to dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant. So I had to pay a bit for this indulgence.
But a little diluted pine essential oil greatly eased the discomfort. I went to bed and woke up pain free.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. People with health concerns should discuss them with a doctor. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils, unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.
I’m not a healthcare professional, so all of the above statements are my personal opinion, and are not intended as medical advice. Persistent or severe headaches require medical attention.
